The Texas Axe Murderer Who Walked Free: Candy Montgomery's Chilling New Life as a Counsellor

The Texas housewife who killed her friend with an axe 45 years ago now works as a mental health counsellor in Georgia, helping families navigate their problems, whilst her own dark past remains buried.

Candy Montgomery, now 75, struck Betty Gore 41 times with a three-foot wood-splitting axe on Friday, 13 June 1980, in the utility room of the Gore family home in Wylie, Texas. She was acquitted after claiming self-defence, sparking outrage that continues to this day.

The case has been thrust back into the spotlight after Netflix added HBO Max's Love & Death to its platform in December 2025.

The seven-episode series starring Elizabeth Olsen as Montgomery has surged into the streaming giant's top 10, introducing the shocking true crime story to millions of new viewers worldwide.

From Accused Killer to Licensed Therapist

Montgomery fled Texas three months after the trial ended, relocating to Georgia, where her parents lived. She and her husband Pat divorced in 1986, and she returned to education to pursue a career in mental health.

By 1996, she had obtained her professional counsellor licence under her maiden name, Candace Wheeler. She has worked as a certified family counsellor and mental health therapist ever since, reportedly helping teenagers and adults through their personal struggles.

The irony of a woman acquitted of a brutal killing now counselling families has not been lost on true crime enthusiasts who have followed the case for decades.

The Affair That Led to Murder

Montgomery and Betty Gore were friends who attended the same Methodist church in Lucas, Texas. Both women were married with children.

But Montgomery had grown bored with suburban life and began an affair with Betty's husband, Allan Gore, in late 1978.

Allan ended the relationship in 1979 after Betty gave birth to their second daughter. On the morning of 13 June 1980, Montgomery visited the Gore home to collect a swimsuit for one of Betty's children who had slept over at her house.

Betty confronted Montgomery about the affair. According to Montgomery's testimony, Betty attacked her with the axe first, cutting her toe. Montgomery claimed she wrestled the weapon away and struck back in self-defence.

Controversial Verdict Divided Texas

A psychiatrist testified that under hypnosis, Montgomery revealed Betty had triggered repressed childhood trauma by telling her to 'shush' - something her mother used to say. The defence argued this caused a dissociative reaction that left Montgomery unaware of how many times she had struck Betty.

The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for just over three hours before returning a not guilty verdict on 30 October 1980. Spectators outside the courtroom reportedly shouted 'Murderer!' as Montgomery left.

Montgomery told reporters after the trial that she wanted 'to get all this behind me and be normal again'.

She has refused all interview requests in the decades since and did not participate in either the Hulu series Candy, starring Jessica Biel, or Netflix's Love & Death.

Allan Gore later remarried but divorced again. He lost custody of his daughters, who were raised by Betty's parents in Kansas. He now lives in Sarasota, Florida.

Whether Montgomery has truly found peace or simply chosen invisibility remains unknown. What is certain is that her story continues to captivate audiences 45 years after the killing that should have ended her freedom, but instead launched a second life far from the headlines of suburban Texas.